ARTE-TV, a French-German public television broadcaster, journeyed to Turkey to interview and document the stories of that country’s tiny Greek community.
Greek-speaking and Orthodox Christians, known as the Roums of Turkey, are also known as the descendants of the last Byzantines.
The documentary interviews community members, young and old. In one scene, an elderly community member visits the site of the orphanage on Pringipos island, where he played with classmates as a young boy. The structure, now dilapidated, once housed thousands of children in the 1800s when there was a thriving community of Greeks.
Their presence on the shores of the Bosphorus, on the islands around Turkey and in Anatolia pre-dates the Ottomans and Greek language and traditions are traced in the region to antiquity.
Yet today, after genocide, wars and political upheaval, there are less than 2,000 of them left.
The 20th century was a particularly harrowing time for this minority: Pogroms, forced labor camps, mass expulsions, violence and racism took their toll on this community.
Today, the few remaining Greeks of Turkey try to keep their traditions alive.
The ARTE-TV documentary is available for viewing on the broadcaster’s YouTube channel until February 12, 2027.
